Forward draw spring holster



April 48, 1944. Rf F, TIBBETTS 2,347,006

FORWARD DRAW SPRING HOLSTER Filed Feb. 17, 1943 ./-48 `INVENTORI RagmondFTbbeZ BY A TTOR/VEY.

Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED armes s ortica 4 Claims.

This invention relates to holsters forside arms ject of the invention is to provide an improved holster with novel means for holding and releasing an arm for fast draw.

Another object is to provide a holster which will permit a gun to be drawn by a straight, forward movement without raising the gun from the holster. This novel arrangement provides for better concealment of the gun in that it permits the holster to be carried higher on the holster belt.

Another object is to provide a holster in which the butt of the gun may be grabbed, with the iinger 0n the trigger, and the gun tipped with its barrel pointing forwardly, to permit ring of the gun Without any movement of drawing the gun upwardly or forwardly from the holster. This novel feature provides for the fastest drawing of the gun, and enables the wearer of the holster to shoot the gun from the hip, without raising the gun from the holster.

Another object is to provide a holster so constructed and arranged that the butt and trigger guard rest above the upper end of the holster so as to facilitate quick action in drawing the gun from the holster when it is worn on the right side.

Another object is to provide a holster of the character stated, constructed and arranged with spring gripping means for gripping the barrel of a revolver, and for extending over and gripping the revolver cylinder.

Another object is to provide a holster of the character stated with adjustable spring gripping I means for gripping the barrel of a revolver and' a rest andsupport for maintaining the gun in its I pro-per normal position in the holster.

Another object is to provide a spring adjustable holster of the character stated designed to permit adjustment thereof from the outside and without taking the holster apart.

Another object is to provide a holster of the character stated which will accommodate side arms with any length of barrel.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinaiter and while I have disclosed one form of my v:is

invention I do not limit the same to such form, because my invention may be embodied inV other forms and it is to be understood that in and by the claims of this specification I intend to cover my invention in whatever form it may be embodied.

My invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which Fig. 1 is a side view of my holster mounted on a belt on the right side of a man, showing a gun in its normal position in the holster, and showing the right hand of the man grasping the butt of the gun for drawing the gun forwardly from the holster through the open front thereof.

Fig. 2 is a view like Fig. 1, but showing the gun having been drawn forwardly from the holster through the open front thereof, by the right hand of the man, into position for iiring the gun.

Fig. 3 is a View like Fig. 1, but showing the gun grasped by its butt by the right hand of the man, and swung upc-n the upper edge of the rear wall of the holster case, into position with the gun barrel projecting forwardly between the side walls of said case for iiring the gun from the hip.

Fig. 4 is a side View of my holster shown mounted on a belt on the left side of a man, showing a gun in its normal position in the holster and the right hand of the man extended toward the left and grasping the butt of the gun for a cross draw 'of the gun from the holster in the conventional manner.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of my holster, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. '7, showing in full lines a revolver gripped and held in normal position in the holster, and showing in dotted lines the revolver swung partly on the upper edge of the rear wall of the holster case, with the barrel of the revolver extended partly through the open front of the holster.

Fig. 6 is a developed view of my holster looking at the inner side thereof and illustrating the blank from which the case of my holster is formed.

Fig. '7 is a horizontal section of my holster and a revolver gripped and held in position therein, taken on line lof Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is atop View of my holster and a revolver gripped and held in position therein.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross section of my holster taken on line 9--9 of Fig. 7, showing the screw clamp for clamping the gun rest block in position in the retaining and. gripping spring.

Fig. 10 is a side view of the gun rest block and the retaining and gripping spring in which said block is clamped.

Fig. 11 is a side view of a modification of the gun rest block and the spring retaining and gripping means, including two retaining and gripping springs in which said block is clamped.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical section of my holster case taken on line I2-I2 of Fig. '7 showing the holster case mounted on a belt.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in which corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters in all of the figures, my holster includes a case I, a gun rest 2, and spring gripping means 3 for causing said case to grip and hold a gun in its normal position therein upon said rest.

The case I comprises a pair of suitably spaced side walls 4 and a rear wall 5, leaving the case open at its upper and lower ends and at the front thereof, so that a gun, supported in said case, may be removed forwardly from the case through the open front thereof, or may be swung upwardly and forwardly through; said open front of the case, in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter more fully described. The case I may be made from a single piece of suitable sheet material such as leather, which is cut in the form of a blank 6, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, and bent forwardly upon itself, U-shape, forming the curved rear wall 5, and the side walls 4 extending forwardly from said rear wall in spaced relation. On the inner sides of the side walls 4 of the ease I, adjacent to the forward edges of said side walls, are arranged pockets 'i respectively, formed by said side walls and by inner pocket walls 3 of suitable sheet material, such as leather, secured to said side walls respectively, by rows of stitching 9. Said pocket walls 8 are formed at their rear edges, intermediate their lower and upper ends, with reasonably extending offset members It), which form shoulders I I at their lower ends for the purpose hereinafter described. The rows of stitching 9 extend adjacent and along the forward lower and upper edges of the pocket walls 8 and side walls 4 of the case l and adjacent and along the rear edges of said pocket walls, from the upper edges thereof to their oiset members ill and adjacent and along the upper edge of said members, leaving the pocket walls unsewed at their rear edges between their lower ends and the upper edges of their offset members lf), whereby openings I2 are provided in the rear of the pockets l between their lower ends and the upper edges of said offset members, for the purpose hereinafter more fully described In the outer side wall 4 of the holster case I is provided an opening I3 in which is fitted a metal eyelet I4, which is clamped to said side wall around the edge of said opening, for the purpose hereinafter described.

The gun rest 2 comprises a. block I5 of suitable material such as wood, which extends upwardly in the case I from the lower end thereof, and is formed with a rabbet i6 in its front face extending downwardly from the rest 2 and upper end of the block and forming a shoulder Il at its lower end in said block, into which rabbet extends the offset members ID of the inner pocket walls 8, with the front face of said block below said rabbet engaging the rear edges of said inner pocket walls below said offset members, and the shoulder I1 in said block engaging the lower edges of said offset members Iii, while the rear face of said block engages the rear wall 5, and the sides of said block are engaged by the side walls 4 of the case I. The upper portion of the block I5 is clamped in the crotch of a U-shaped wire spring I8, by a screw clamp I9, with said spring extending around the rear edge of said block and the spring arms 29 extending forwardly over the sides of said block in a groove 2l in said rear edge and in said sides of said block, which spring arms are bent upwardly at right angles at 22 forwardly of said block I5, forming upward extensions 23 ci said arms. The screw clamp I 9 comprises a screw 24, formed with a head 25, a screw sleeve 26 formed with a head 2i and threaded on said screw, and washers 23 and 2S on said screw and said sleeve, respectively. The screw clamp I9 extends transversely through the block I5, through an opening 3i] in said block, and the clamp screw 24 is turned in the threaded sleeve 26, so that the washers 28 and 29 are drawn inwardly by the heads 25 and 2'! of said screw and said sleeve respectively, against the arms 2li of they U- shaped spring i8, until said spring arms are clamped in the groove 2l in the sides, respectively, of the block I5, whereby said spring I8 is adjustably secured in said block. The projecting arms 2i] and their extensions 23 of the spring i8 are extended forwardly through the openings l2 of the pockets l into said pockets, with said extensions extending upwardly in the upper portion of said pockets and said arms are frictionally held by and between the walls of said pockets, whereby the block I5 and gun rest 2 are securely held in position in the holster case l as aforesaid, with the head 25 of the clamp screw 24 aligned with the opening I3 in the outer side wall 4 of the case I to permit access with a screw driver through said opening to said screw head for turning the screw 24 for the purpose hereinafter more fully described.

The spring gripping means 3, for enabling my holster to grip a gun and hold it firmly in its normal position therein, comprises the spring I8, the pockets l, in which the arms 2t of said spring are retained, and the side walls 4 and pocket walls 8 of the case I, which spring arms swing said side walls inwardly toward each other from the rear wall 5 against the sides of the barrel and over and against the sides of the cylinder of a revolver for detachably holding said revolver in the holster, so that it may be drawn or swung forwardly between the front edges of the side walls 4 of the case I, in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter more fully described.

On the outside of the inner wall 4 of the case I is secured a belt loop 3i, which comprises a piece of sheet material 32, such as leather,

sewed to said inner side wall f1'. by stitching 33 and 34 extending near and along the lower and upper edges, respectively, of said piece of sheet material, through which belt loop 3| is extended a belt 35, which is buckled around the body 0f the wearer of my holster, whereby my holster is supported by said belt on the right side of said wearer.

The operation, uses and advantages of my invention are as follows:

A gun, such as a revolver 35, is carried pointed downward in my holster, with the cylinder 31 and barrel 38 of said revolver gripped by and between the inner and the outer side walls 4 of the case I, and with the forward end of the cylinder' frame 39 of the revolver resting upon the rest 2 on the upper end of the block I5, and the cylinder ejector 4u positioned in the rabbet i6 in said block, and with the trigger guard 4I of the revolver resting upon the upper edge of the rear wall 5 of the case I, and the butt 42 of the revolver extending rearwardly above said case. Upon grasping the butt 42 of the revolver 3S with his right hand the wearer of my holster may draw said revolver directly forwardly from my holster through the open front thereof, the side walls 4 of the case I and the arms 253 of the spring I3 yielding laterally outwardly to permit the barrel 33 and the cylinder 31 of said revolver to escape forwardly from between said wearer of my holster may swing the revolver with its trigger guard 4I turning on the upper edge oi the rear wall 5 of the case I as a pivot, so that the barrel 38 of the revolver may be swung upwardly between the side walls 4 of the case i through the open front of said case, into "rooting position, with the revolver resting upon the upper edge of the rear wall 5 of the case I, in which position the revolver may be iired from the hip by the wearer of my holster.

If desired my holster may be shifted on the belt and worn on the left side, with the b-utt 42 of the gun extending forwardly, so that the gun may be drawn from the holster by a cross draw with the right hand of the wearer of ymy holster, in the conventional manner, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

The tension of the spring I8 and the gripping tension of the side walls 4 of the case I, upon rest 2 in position in the holster case I, and for causing the holster case I to grip and hold the gun in position in said case on said gun rest.

I claim: Y

1. A holster, as disclosed including a case of suitable flexible material formed with a rear wall and side walls extending forwardly from said rear wall, leaving the front of said case open between theforward edges of said side walls, a

4gun rest secured in said case upon which rests the cylinder frame oi the gun for supporting a gun in said case with the trigger guard of the gun extending rearwardly over the upper edge of said rear wall of said case, and means for causing said side walls to grip said gun sufficiently to hold it in said case, but allowing said side walls to yield, so that said gun may be drawn through the open front of said case or the gun may be swung with its trigger guard turning on said upper edge of said rear wall of said case as a pivot, until the gun barrel passes through the open front of said case into shooting position.

2. Al holster as claimed in claim l, including adjusting means for adjusting the gripping tenthe cylinder 31 and barrel 3s of the revolver 36 may be adjusted, upon inserting a screw driver through the opening I3 in the outer side wall 4 of the case I into ergagement with the head 25 of the screw 24 of the screw clamp I9 and turning said screw.

In the modication of my invention shown in Fig. 11, a U-shaped spring 43 in addition to the spring I8, is extended forwardly, over the sides and around the rear of the block I 5 in a groove 44 in said block below the spring I8, and said block is clamped in position in the crotch of said spring 43 by a screw clamp 45, like the screw clamp IS, extended through said block, the spring 43, being like the spring I3 except that its arms 4B are bent downwardly at right angles at 4l, forming downward extensions 48 of said arms. The arms 46 and extensions 4B of said spring 43 are extended into the pockets 'I through the openings I2 of said pockets, and said extensions are extended downwardly in said pockets, providing means in addition to the spring I8, for retaining the block I5 and gun sion of the side walls of the case upon the gun in said case.

3. A holster as disclosed including a case of suitable flexible material formed with a rear wall and side walls extending forwardly from said rear wall, leaving the front of said case open between the forward edges of said side walls; pockets on said side walls of said case, a gun rest, a U-shaped spring, a screw clamp extending through said rest for clamping said gun rest in the crotch of said spring, said screw clamp comprising a screw formed with a head, a screw sleeve formed with a head and threaded on said screw, and washers on said screw and said sleeve, respectively, which washers are drawn by the head of said screw and the head of said sleeve, respectively, for causing said washers to engage the arms respectively of said spring to clamp said spring upon said rest, the arms of said spring extending into said pockets respectively, for retaining said gun rest in position in said case and said spring arms in said pockets tending to spring toward each other for causing said side walls of said case to grip said gun sufficiently to hold it in said case, but allowing said side walls to yield outwardly to permit said gun to be drawn through the open front of said case.

4. A holster as claimed in claim 3 in which one of the side walls of the case is provided with an opening through which a screw driver may be inserted for engaging the head of the clamp screw and turning said screw when the gun rest is in position in said case.

RAYMOND F. TIBBETTS. 

